Landscaping & Design Ideas

Choosing a paver for your outdoor living space is no easy task these days. Manufacturers have created innovative new processes that allow them to expand their product line in various ways. Unilock has led the pack over the years in this regard, and this year is no different. Not only have they expanded their product line, they have also expanded upon the color choices for some existing pavers.

For new pavers, they have introduced Tumbled Canterbury and Trevia. Tumbled Canterbury is a smooth surfaced tumbled paver offered in Coffee Creek and River Blend colors. It is similar to the Tumbled Camelot paver, which they have discontinued this year.

The next is Trevia. This is a two stone paver system that recreates the look of natural flagstone with multiple surface textures and patterns. This is available in the Almond Grove color.

Also new this year is the Belpasso paver. This paver features TitanTec Surface Technology, making it extremely stain resistant without adding any type of sealant. This added benefit eliminates the long term cost of treating the paver with a sealant.

Unilock has also added the color Sierra to its Avante Ashlar paver line. This is one of their most popular colors, and a newer paver that is becoming extremely popular.

The other new addition is their Ledgestone Coping. This is a wetcast cap with a natural rockface on the front and back.

As always, Unilock continues to lead the way with their innovative paver and wall materials. Every product they make is backed by a transferable lifetime warranty, providing long term value and peace of mind to the consumer.

If you’re thinking about going ahead with your backyard landscape project, give us a call today at (216)741-2781. We can help select the right material for your yard, and create a design that fits your lifestyle!

For Immediate Release – Gaining Ground Landscaping, Inc. announced today that it has received Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation.

“Accreditation is an honor – many businesses are not eligible,” said David Weiss, BBB president. “Businesses that meet our high standards are invited to apply for accreditation. Applicants undergo a review process and ultimate approval by our Board of Directors.”

Businesses seeking BBB accreditation must commit to the BBB Code of Business Practices. The Code is a comprehensive set of policies, procedures and best practices on how businesses treat consumers. These standards call for building trust, embodying integrity, advertising honestly and telling the truth, being transparent, honoring promises, being responsive and safeguarding privacy.

BBB was founded in 1912 with a mission of fostering a fair marketplace and continues to be a resource for the public, providing objective, unbiased information about businesses. Reports on over three million businesses and charities are available at cleveland.bbb.org. A key piece of information that helps consumers make informed decisions is whether a company is BBB accredited. According to BBB, seven of 10 consumers say they are more likely to buy from a company designated as a BBB Accredited Business.

“We are proud to be a BBB Accredited Business,” said Jeffrey Heinz, President. “It signifies our commitment to customer service, reliability and trust. For any organization to excel in today’s environment, it is critical that they be fully committed to excellence. Our acknowledgment by the BBB aligns with and supports our efforts of providing superior service in the marketplace.”

Since 1999, Gaining Ground Landscaping, Inc. has been offering Landscaping, Patio Installation and Yard Maintenance Services throughout North Eastern Ohio including the cities of Valley View, Independence, Brecksville, Broadview Heights, North Royalton, Hinckley, Seven Hills, Brooklyn Heights, Sagamore Hills, Richfield, Avon Lake, Bay Village, Solon, Beachwood, Macedonia and Hudson.

2009 marked a record year for repairs for our company. Some of these repairs were performed on patios and retaining walls installed over ten years ago.  We were able to address the problem areas and correct them, leaving the project looking the way they did when they were installed.

Unfortunately, some repairs were performed on projects completed in the last five years.  With the boom in new home construction at that time, also came a rise in the number of companies performing hardscape work.  It was hard for us to see projects recently completed already in a state of disrepair.  For some, the only solution was to take it apart and start over.

At this point we were able to see the root cause of many of the problems.  Some retaining walls and patios were built with insufficient base.  Some walls were not backfilled with stone, nor was there any drainage.  There was no quick fix, and the homeowner was left with no choice but to pay to have the wall or patio built anew.

In many cases, we were told the company who originally installed the project was not returning their phone calls, or sometimes were out of business.  The customer had no other recourse but to sue to try to recoup some of their loss.  As unfortunate as this is, it happens all too often with many contractors in various trades.

It’s one reason I urge customers to carefully review proposals from different contractors.  In many cases they are not “apples to apples” comparisons.  It may be that one proposal calls for half the base material of the other.  By using less than the minimum amount of required base for a specific project, it is doomed from the start.  It may be a retaining wall that requires both drainage and geogrid to anchor it into the hillside.  Not putting either in will drive down the installation cost, but will also cause premature failure, leading to a collapsing wall after only a few years.

In some cases, the contractor may be well intentioned, but may not possess the knowledge or experience to complete the project properly.  Don’t allow your project to be their training ground!

Seek references, ask what kind of guarantee they provide, but be sure they will be around if something does go wrong in a few years.  Retaining walls and patios are expensive undertakings for a reason.  One contractor may be substantially higher than another for good reason.  The best price is not always the best value, this is true for anything we purchase.

When properly installed, a patio or retaining wall in the Cleveland area should provide years of hassle free enjoyment for you and your family.

As we look toward spring, there may be a few projects on the horizon for you this year. Whether it be a landscaping renovation, a new paver patio, or a new retaining wall, contact us today to lock in Spring Discounts.

We will meet with you to go over your project, create a design that is right for you, and set up a time to review the proposal. After going over the proposal, just let us know that you saw this ad online (or click on the coupon and print), and receive 10% off the total cost of the job. That was easy. But hurry, this offer ends April 15th, 2010!